Rhys Jones joins Blackstock as director

Rhys Jones joins Blackstock as director

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Blackstock Consulting has appointed Rhys Jones as a director to expand its corporate, financial and crisis management offering.

Jones will lead the company’s financial and crisis management consultancy work, as well as taking a prominent role in its ongoing work with DP World and Grainger.

He was previously group head of PR at construction and outsourcing firm Interserve. Prior to that, he worked as a journalist at Reuters covering infrastructure, retail and aviation.

Andrew Teacher, founder of Blackstock Consulting, said: “Rhys has been on the front line of the news agenda for more than 15 years and brings with him some hefty experience and first rate sector knowledge.

“Our approach to advising clients is centred around the technical knowledge we have, not just around PR and communications, but around property and investment. Rhys will be play a key role in driving Blackstock onward and upwards and we’re privileged to have him on board.”

Jones added: “I’m thrilled by the opportunity to join an entrepreneurial and exciting young business which has really hit its stride. Blackstock has quickly become very well regarded as being one of the smartest and most dynamic young agencies around.

“I’m hoping that my recent experience and industry knowledge will further support the company’s growth. The ability to take a stake in the business and be part of that journey will, I’m sure, be immense fun.”

Cision webinar to reveal what journalists really want from PRs today

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For Cision’s 2018 State of the Media survey, we wanted to discover what the transformation the media has undergone over the past 12 months means for PR professionals.

So, we polled 1,355 journalists from across the globe on declining trust in social media, search engines bypassing traditional outlets and more.

We’ve published our findings and will be exploring their implications in an exclusive webinar with Jack White, celebrity content director at Now, Women’s Own, Woman and Women’s Weekly, W Communications account director Sean Allen-Moy and Cheryl Douglas, Cision’s head of media research and jobs.

Douglas will summarise this year’s key takeaways, before passing over to White as he talks about how journalists and PRs can work together to tackle the biggest challenges facing the media today.

Then, Allen-Moy will draw on his experience working at Sky News and the BBC to consider what this all means for comms professionals.

“For this year’s survey, Cision has leveraged its global network of journalists and media influencers to uncover unique and valuable insights about the state of the media today,” said Douglas. “This really is essential knowledge for journalists and PR pros alike.”

She added: “We have two great guests joining us representing both sides of the media, and I can’t wait to hear Sean and Jack’s take on our findings.”

Click here now to claim your place and join Douglas, White and Allen-Moy on Tuesday 22 May as they discuss the state of the media today.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • What journalists say is the biggest challenge facing the media today.
  • Which sources of brand information journalists trust the most.
  • How PRs can secure more coverage and build stronger relationships with journalists.
Amy Williams joins Rewired as senior account manager

Amy Williams joins Rewired as senior account manager

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Birmingham-based PR, marketing and event management agency Rewired has appointed Amy Williams as senior account manager.

Williams will be responsible for managing delivery of PR, marketing, content and events across a number of the agency’s accounts, including Mailbox Birmingham, Heal’s, Cadbury World, Tom’s Kitchen and Kirstie Allsopp’s Handmade Fair.

She has a range of both B2B and B2C agency experience across both traditional and digital media, previously working with companies such as Oxfam, Chrysler Jeep, Michelin Great Britain and Vax.

Natalie Merrix, client services director at Rewired, said: “Amy is an extremely talented, creative and highly organised senior account manager and we’re delighted to welcome her to the Rewired team.

“Amy’s natural flair and ability to secure fantastic coverage and manage large-scale events will be invaluable as Rewired continues to grow on both a regional and national level.”

Paul Thomas joins MRM as consultant

Daily Mail reporter Paul Thomas joins MRM as consultant

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MRM has hired Paul Thomas, a Daily Mail reporter specialising in mortgages and investments, as a consultant in its news and content team.

He will help drive production of high-quality content for clients and will play an integral role in MRM’s consumer proposition.

Thomas has eight years’ experience in financial services journalism. He has worked across the Daily Mail’s city and money desks and previously wrote for Money Marketing and Mortgage Strategy.

He was named Headlinemoney’s Rising Star of the Year (Consumer) in 2017 and won its Mortgage Journalist of the Year award in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Personal Finance Society named him National Newspaper Newcomer of the Year in 2017.

Chris Tuite, MRM’s director and head of consumer finance, said: “Paul has been delivering high quality journalism for the best part of a decade and has quickly become one of the most recognisable names in the consumer finance media.

“I am thrilled he will be adding his writing talents and nose for news to the already stellar team we have at MRM.”

Thomas added: “MRM has long recognised the value of producing top quality content and I am delighted to be joining a business which takes this so seriously.”

Opinion: Why this is PR's film moment

Opinion: Why this is PR’s film moment

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Mark Lonsdale, producer at Leap Films, marks the start of the Cannes Film Festival by revealing why PR professionals are beginning to embrace the use of film.  

Mark Lonsdale

Let’s call it a slow motion revolution! Slowly but surely, in uncertain steps, we see PR embrace film. The impact of moving images as a scroll stopper and conversion builder has never really been in doubt, but the sight of film on a PR agency home page is still as rare as spotting a penguin in the desert!

All can see the value of moving images, but budgets, tradition, inexperience and fear of the unknown appear to be at the heart of the slow lane approach to film as a campaign leader and potent branding tool.

Of course, it’s not easy to get it right and when budgets are tight and expectations are high, it’s easy to see why it often ends up on the “maybe” list rather than the “action” one. But film storytelling, with a brand at its heart, can engage in a unique and immediate way across all the platforms.

The big numbers

The stats are certainly stacking up on this. Last year, online video traffic made up 69% of all global consumer internet traffic (Cisco) and by 2019 it will account for 80% (WordStream). After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online (RendrFX).

Marketers who use video grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users (VidYard). Including video in a landing page can increase conversion by 80% (EyeView) and four times as many customers would rather watch a video about a product than read about it (Animoto). Encouragingly, the recent PRCA Digital Survey showed video content as a significant item now on in house budgets.

For those who have fully embraced film the benefits are tangible and have longevity:

  • Kevin Stone, sales director at Ben Sherman: “With film, the great thing is you can engage the target audience so directly. Of course, you have to get the tone, casting, and details just right but then the results are great in terms of views, click-throughs and conversion. You have to do your homework and put the product into a world they, your punters, connect with.”
  • Kirsty Leighton, founder of Milk & Honey: “We know our clients are coming to expect film as an option, we include visual media in all of our campaigns. Audiences and customers are changing, it’s a smartphone world we live in and we all love intelligent, engaging stories that make us stop, think, and feel something. As an agency, we are prioritising film and broadcast.”
  • Candace Kuss, director of social at H + K Strategies: “Our agency has always created brand content for our clients and what I love is that their ambition for how they tell their story keeps getting stronger. For example, our sports team made a 17 minute documentary movie called Sevens From Heaven as part of our work supporting the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. The trend is very much toward investing in more meaningful video content and less of the lightweight ephemeral clips.”

Getting set

One big pothole on the road is the “let’s-get-someone-to-film-it” approach, where a generic piece of film is shot (very cheaply) and promoted. Audiences see this for what it is, placeholder footage that barely holds their attention: familiar, formulaic and flat. So, what is the answer?

Here are some starting points:

  • Tell stories that reflect brand values. Develop short scripts and stories that connect with your target audiences, there is a world of difference between a story and footage. We all love a good story, whether it’s John Lewis at Christmas or Nike’s latest “Nothing Beats a Londoner” clip.
  • Get the address right! If you are sending out a brand message make sure it belongs to the world of the customer. This is about tone, styling, casting and voice. With film, design is vital, the devil is in the detail and this doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
  • Think modular. This is the moment for modular content, where a smart story can be re-versioned for each selected platform. Instagram? Let’s connect with these communities with a 30 second spot. Facebook? Something longer and a set of behind-the-scenes clips too.

All of this springs from the same beautifully shot footage.

Talk to the professionals. If you care about your client and the quality of the content you produce then it’s time to arrange a coffee with a producer or two.

Start with a pilot project, build a partnership. The producer opens the door to great camera opportunities, brilliant young production designers and editors. They like coffee too!

So, the first leg of this journey to conversion is turning all those smart media savvy PR people into film collaborators – because today, we all have screens in our pockets.

PR News in Brief

This week’s PR news in brief (30 April – 4 May)

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Here’s a round-up of the week’s essential PR news, featuring PrettyGreen’s Paddy Hobbs, the CIPR energy leadership platform and the PRCA’s 2018 census.

Thought leadership

Paddy Blewer, co-chair of the CIPR’s new Energy Leadership Platform, explores how the group will demonstrate the value of PR during a period of unprecedented change for the energy industry.

3 reputational risks facing the FMCG industry

Shifting consumer preferences, new political pressures and resistance to healthier product ranges are all creating reputational risks for businesses in the FMCG sector.

Cision Communications Cloud data showing 'packaging waste' mentions in the mainstream media from January to December 2017

Cision Communications Cloud data showing ‘packaging waste’ mentions in the mainstream media from January to December 2017

With more than 25% of a company’s value linked directly to its reputation, protecting firms against these risks is a key responsibility for communicators in the industry.

That’s why the Cision Insights team has analysed millions of print, digital and broadcast press clippings to identify the three biggest threats facing the FMCG industry right now.

Interviews

Mike Burton, head of content at social publisher The Hook, explains the content it looks to create, the importance of working with celebrities and how PRs can work with the title.

60 Seconds with PrettyGreen's Paddy Hobbs

PrettyGreen’s Paddy Hobbs

Paddy Hobbs, head of sport at PrettyGreen, talks about how he ended up working in PR, how to promote combat sports and his most memorable campaign.

Account wins

Skincare brand HydroPeptide has appointed RKM Communications to manage its UK launch event and deliver ongoing PR and social media and community management.

British holiday firm Teletext Holidays has appointed Siren Comms to increase awareness of its brand and drive demand for its services.

Steamship Maid of the Loch has appointed Clarion Communications to support its major restoration appeal.

PR news in brief

Clarion will help Maid of the Loch set sail

Mattress brand Tempur UK has appointed Rooster to launch its UK PR programme, with a brief to drive brand awareness and increase its share of voice in the trade and consumer press.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has appointed Relevance International to handle its PR strategy, following a four-way pitch.

GoFundMe, the world’s largest social fundraising platform, has expanded Fleishman Hillard’s brief to include a pan-European consumer comms drive.

Pork producers Tulip has appointed Mercieca as its PR and social media agency.

Austrian eyewear brand neubau has appointed Little Red Rooster to run its UK press office and handle its UK relaunch.

Willerby, the UK’s largest holiday home and lodge manufacturer, has appointed Smoking Gun to handle its social media and launch its new venture, Park Homes by Willerby.

People news

Tanya Joseph, architect of the award-winning This Girl Can campaign, has joined Nationwide Building Society as director of external relations.

Nationwide hires Tanya Joseph as director of external affairs

Tanya Joseph

Former GQ online editor Conrad Quilty-Harper has joined creative agency LUCHFORD APM as its digital and editorial director.

Consilium Strategic Communications has hired Olivia Manser as associate and Carina Jurs and Sarah Wilson as account executives.

Elliot Mitchell has joined Zeitgeist as publicity director. He is responsible for launching the agency’s new artist PR division.

Industry body The Advertising Association has appointed Chris Sutcliffe, former news editor of The Media Briefing, as its new content publisher.

EAST VILLAGE account manager Hattie D’Souza has been named in Birmingham’s 30 under 30 list of influential young people.

Skout has appointed Lottie Buckley as account manager and Juliet Haley as account executive.

Agency news

Luxley Communications has launched a ‘junior’ division dedicated to clients in the pregnancy, family and early years sectors.

Zeitgeist has launched a new artist PR division that promises to give artists access to European festival and event promoters, tech start-ups and music-driven campaigns from leading brands.

The PHA Group has has launched a grad scheme, offering successful applicants the chance to work in rotation across its various PR practices over a 12-month period.

Stature PR has launched Stature Blockchain Projects, a team within its corporate and financial division dedicated to blockchain and ICO (Initial Coin Offering) projects.

Boutique entertainment agency Gaby Jerrard PR has opened an Edinburgh office.

PRCA news

The PRCA has launched its PR and Communications Census 2018, which reveals that the industry has grown 7% since 2016 and is worth £13.8 billion.

The census also reveals that the number of UK PR professionals has increased by 3,000 since 2016, to 86,000 employees. The industry is also marginally more diverse than it was two years ago, with 89% of employees being white and 86% being British.

PRCA director general Francis Ingham said: “The PR and communications industry is thriving, and I have no doubt that it is poised for even further growth in the future. Salaries are increasing, we are recruiting more employees, individual sectors are performing well and exceeding expectations.

“While diversity continues to be a problem for the industry, we are starting to see movement in the right direction, and that should be welcomed.”

Anne-Sophie Breband joins Black Sun as head of social media

Anne-Sophie Breband joins Black Sun as head of social media

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Black Sun has appointed Anne-Sophie Breband as head of social media, leading its social media offer to FTSE and international clients.

Breband will be responsible for growing the agency’s social media offering, using her experience in defining and delivering effective social media comms that will help clients reach, engage and influence stakeholders.

Reporting to chief digital officer Richard Dixon, she will also advise clients on all aspects of their social media, from conducting audits, to defining their strategy, managing delivery and monitoring.

She has over a decade of industry experience and has provided social media solutions to an international portfolio of clients such as Pierre Fabre, Aéroports de Paris and Fox Channel France.

Dixon said: “We are delighted to have Anne-Sophie on board as we grow our stakeholder communications solutions. Her arrival will ensure that Black Sun plc is even better placed to deliver effective digital communications for our clients, expanding the skills we have available within the agency.”

Breband added: “I’m really excited to be joining Black Sun at an interesting time. Companies are placing more importance on building trust with their stakeholders, and consistency of the corporate narrative is imperative for this. Social media is a vital tool for delivering this.”